Electrical connector housing



Filed Jan. 7, 1952 \NVENTOR H In A N L R v. o WOM QQUA N Y s C United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Clarence Willans Heath, Bleasby, England, assignor to Cinch Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 7, 1952, Serial No. 265,288

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-196) This invention relates to electrical plug or socket devices and more particularly to devices of the kind comprising a contact-carrying member adapted to be assembled in a cap or cover unit.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved 9 means whereby such a member may be readily assembled in the cap or cover.

According to the present invention an electrical plug or socket device has a contact-carrying member comprising a substantially circular plate of insulating material on which electrical contacts are mounted, the plate being assembled with a cap or cover having a cylindrical wall formed with axially spaced abutments adapted to engage opposite faces of the plate, the cap or cover having cam means whereby when the plate is rotated relatively to the cap or cover it will be urged into frictional engagement with certain of said abutments to secure the plate in position. The plate may have a projecting lug adapted to ride over the cam surface, and a recess or the like may be formed at the end portion of the cam surface to receive the lug and form a seat when the plate is in fully locked position.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an under plan view of a plug device according to one embodiment of the invention with the contactcarrying plate removed;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the contact-carrying plate; Fig. 4 is a side view of the plate shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a side view of the device with the contactcarrying plate assembled therewith.

As shown in the accompanying drawings the device comprises a cap or cover 1 adapted to support a contact carrying member consisting of a circular plate 2 of msulating material having three notches 3 in its rim and an integral lug 4 extending radially outwards. A series of terminal pins 5 are mounted on the plate the inner end of the pins being adapted to be connected with electrical leads (not shown). In some cases however the terminal pins 5 may be replaced by socket contact members.

The cap or cover 1 comprises a cylindrical wall 6 and a base 7 having an aperture 8 for electrical lead wires to be inserted for connection with the contacts 5 on the plate. Part of the edge of the cylindrical wall 6 is cut away and shaped to form a cam surface 9 and other parts of the wall 6 have an outer series of three equally spaced projections 10 extending inwardly of the wall. These projections may be formed by cutting and bending mwardly part of the material of the wall. The wall is also formed with a second or inner series of inward projections 11 spaced axially beyond and staggered with respect to the first series, the two series forming axially spaced guide means for the plate 2.

To assemble the plate with the cap the plate is positioned to rest the lug 4 on the cam surface 9 and align the notches 3 with the outer or first series of projections 10' whereby the plate can pass the projections 10 and be supported on the inner or second series of projections 11. The plate is now rotated between the two series of projections so that the lug rides up the cam surface 9 and urges the upper surface of the plate into frictional engagement with the outer set of projections 10 to secure the plate in position. When in final assembled position the notches 3 are out of alignment with the projections 10 and 11 and accordingly these projections project inwardly over the plate to withhold it against axial withdrawal. The end portion of the cam surface 9 is formed (as shown) with a depressed portion 9a in which the lug 4 seats when the plate is finally assembled.

The cap or cover 1 is provided with an aligner 12 of stiff sheet insulating material the outer edge 13 of which may take the place of the inner series of abutments or projections 11.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector device having a contactcarrying member comprising a substantially circular plate of insulating material on which electrical contacts are mounted, said plate having a lug element projecting radially in the plane thereof and a recess adjacent an edge thereof, a cap having a cylindrical wall, said cap having axially spaced abutments adapted to engage opposite faces of the plate, one of said abutments being received in said recess in assembly of said device, said cap having cam means engageable with said projecting lug on relative rotation of said parts to move said plate into assembled position with said cap between said abutments.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which said cam means of said cap is provided at a free edge of the cylindrical wall of said cap.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which said axially spaced abutments are integrally joined to the cylindrical wall of said cap and extend inwardly therefrom.

4. An electrical connector device having a contactcarrying member comprising a substantially circular plate of insulating material on which electrical contacts are mounted, said plate having a lug element projecting radially in the plane thereof and recesses adjacent an edge thereof, a cap having a cylindrical wall, said cap having two sets of abutments, the first of said sets having abutments extending inwardly from the edge of said cap adjacent the open end, the second of said sets having abutments extending inwardly from points on said wall of said cap spaced axially from said edge of said cap, said sets of abutments being adapted to engage opposite faces of said plate, said first of said sets of abutments being received in said recesses in assembly of said device, said cap having cam means adjacent its free edge engageable with said projecting lug on relative rotation of said parts to move said plate into assembled position with said cap between said sets of abutments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

833,342 Salisbury Oct. 16, 1906 1,050,917 Burleigh Jan. 21, 1913 2,141,889 Wallschlaeger Dec. 27, 1938 2,307,423 Savage Jan. 5, 1943 2,398,626 Del Camp Apr. 16, 1946 2,646,460 Del Camp July 21, 1953 

